Mystery Words

Match the words used in mystery stories with their definitions. Fill in the missing letters to spell a secret message.

1. clandes___ine

2. sh___ed

3. d___vulge

4. dedu___e

5. slin___

6. fel___ny

7. c___riminal

8. ou___wit

9. la___ceny

10. clu___

11. sh___dow

12. s___alk

13. ev___dence

14. plan___

15. sleut___

16. evad___

17. un___aveled

18. seclud___d
a) severe offense usually punished by at least a year in jail

b) private; screened from view

c) detective

d) anything that guides or helps in the solution of a mystery

e) done in secret; hidden; surreptitious

f) outsmart

g) proof

h) follow someone to spy on that person

i) derive a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer

j) escape by trickery

k) one who is guilty of breaking the law

l) disclose or reveal a secret

m) disentangled woven threads; solved

n) scrap (n.); tear into small pieces (v.)

o) pursue in stealth

p) to move furtively as if in fear

q) theft; robbery

r) themes or plots developed in advance of an action


SECRET MESSAGE:___________________________________________________


Copyright 2001 School Librarian's Workshop. For-profit use prohibited.